Power-transmitting mechanism for motor-vehicles.



W. E. LAPE POWER TRANSMITTING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1914.

1,235,81 7. Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

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W. E. LAPE.

POWER TRANSMITTING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29. I914.

Patented Aug. 7, 1917.

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WELABD ELAPE, or svnncusn, NEW 2031:, AssIGNon or ONE-mutt 'ro WILLIAMJ.

LEWIS, or smacusrz, NEW YORK.

POWER-TRANSMITTING MECHANISM FOR MOTOR-VEHICLES.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, WILLARD E. Lara, of Syracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, 1n the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Power-Transmitwhich' the following, taken in connectionwith the accompanymg'drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in power-transmittingmechanism for motor-vehicles and is somewhat similar to that set forthin my Patent No. 1,168,206, issued January 11, 1916, and also in mypending application No. 59,101, filed Novem'ber 1, 1915, except that itcombines a hydraulic differential drive mechanism with the hydraulictransmission for use inconnection with motor-driven road vehicles.

The main object, of course, is to obviate the use of the usual gears,shaft and universal joints commonly employed in the connection betweenthe motor-shaft and propelling medium, such for example, as the axlesections and traction wheels of a motordriven road vehicle.

Another object is to enable the vehicle to be driven in either directionat any speed between zero and maximum speed of the main drivingmotor, orbrought to a position of rest by cutting off the fluid supply to theaxle motors and establishing a local valve chamber 7- above and parallelcirculation around the impeller all through the medium of a single valveunder the control of the operator.

A still further object is to provide for the differential speedmovements of the traction wheels and their axle sections in roundingcurves without adding any mechanism more than is necessary to transmitrotary motion to both axle sections simultaneously.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the device will bebrought out in the following description.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hydraulicpower-transmitting mechanism embodying the various features of myinvention as applied to motor-driven road vehicles.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the differentialmotors for the rear axle sections and inclosing case therefortaken online 22, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectional '55 view through the impellerand valve case Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 29, 1914. Serial No. 347,960..

ting Mechanism for Motor-Vehicles, of

Patented Aug. '7, 1917.

constituting a variable-speed-transmission device, taken on line 3-3,Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal vertical sectional view ofthe parts shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are enlarged detail views of the valve case and valvein different positions of adjustment.

In order that my invention may be clearly understood, I have shown aportion of a mam driving shaft A and portions of the rear axle sectionsB-- of an automobile or other self-propelled road vehicle, the shaft -Abeing adapted to be driven by an internal combustion engine or otherprimary motor and has its rear end journaled in the front side of avariable-speed'transmission case 1-- and provided with a rotary impeller-2 operating in a cylindrical chamber -3 which is eccentric to the axisof the shaft A-, said impeller consisting of a head 4 havingadiametrically extending slot 5- for receiving a radially movable gate 6of substantially the same width and length as the diameter and length ofthe chamber 3, while the head 4 extends the entire length of the chamber'-3 and is cylindrical and of less diameter than that of the chamber soas to leave a clearance all around the head for the passage of themotive fluid.

The case 1 is also provided with a with the impeller chamber '3-- forreceiving a rotarily adjustable valve -8, said valve chamber beingprovided with diametrically opposite ports 9 and -9 in the oppositesides thereof and with additional ports -10 and -10 in the rear end ofsaid case.

The ports 9 and --9- communicate through passages -11- and 11-- with aclearance space at opposite sides of the impeller, the ports 10 and l0being connected by separate pipes or conduits 12-- and 12' tocorresponding ports 13 and 13 in the front side of a difl'erential case14- which surrounds the meeting ends of the axle sections B-.

The valve 8 fits closely within the chamber 7 and is adjustable rotarilyby means of a stem --16 having an angular end 17 for the reception of anoperating member (not shown, but adapted to be controlled by theoperator).

The ends of the valve are cylindrical and are journaled in correspondingportions of the case but the intermediate portion consists of a hollowdiametrically extending.

web of substantially the same width as the interior of the chamber -7,but of considerably less thickness than its width so as to leaveclearance spaces 1*8 and 18 at diametrically opposite sides thereofnormally communicating with ports -10 and 10- when the valve is closed,said Web being provided with a central diametrically extending passage-19- normally communicating with the ports .9- and 9'-- so as toestablish a local circuit for the circulation of the motive fluid whenthe vehicle is at rest and theprimary motor in operation.

The rear cylindrical end of the valve 8- is provided withports -'20 and+-20'---- at diametrically opposite sidesof the web --8- for connectingtheir respective chambers -18 and 18' with their corresponding ports 10and 10-. It will be noted that the valve 8- divides its chamber 7- intoseparate compartments, each communicating with the motor chamber throughthe inlet and exit ports 20 and, 20', one communicating with the port-20 and the other with the port 20',

so that by proper adjustment of the valve,

' of ports, as 9' and both compartments,

and at the same time connects the two ports 9 and -9 through thediametric passage in the valve; I

The meeting ends of the axle sections B-- are provided with enlargedcylindrical head 21 and 21, each having a diametrically extending slot22 for receiving a diametrically extending gate 22'--, each headtogether with its sliding gate 22- constituting a separate fluid motorto'be actuated by the fluid passing through the pipes 12- and 12'- Thesemotors aremovable in a cylindrical motor chamber 23- common tobothmotors but of somewhat greater diameter than the same and eccentricthereto, the motors being. so relatively arranged wlthln thie chamber.23- that their front sides con-.

tact with the front sides of the chamber leaving a clearance all the wayaround the motors gradually increasing from the front side to the rearside thereof, and communicating with the ports 13 and 13' throughpassages 24- and 24'-'.

The sliding gate 22 of each motor is of substantially the same length asthe interior diameter of the chamber 23- around which it is adapted tobe moved by the circulation of the motive fluid under pressure producedby the impeller 2;

The entire circulating system is filled with a motive fluid, preferablyoil or some nonfreezing inelastic fluid, so as to render thedifferential motors instantaneously responsive to the slightest movementof the fluid as produced by the action of the impeller 2 when the valveis shifted from its normal position.

The reservoir 25, containing a reserved quantity of motive fluid, isconnected to the circulatory system, preferably to the top of thedifferential case 14 for replenishing such system with motive fluid incase of leakage, it being understood that the pressure of the fluid insaid system produced by the action of the impeller 2- causes a certainamount of air to be trapped in the reservoir which, inturn, reacts uponthe reserved supply of motive fluid therein to project the same intothecirculatory system in case of leakage.

' When the valve 8- is in its normal position, as shown-in Figs. 3 and4, the 1mpeller 2 is being driven by the'primary motor through themedium of the driving shaft A, the motive fluidin the casing 1 willbecirculated locally through the passage 19, ports 9- and 9' andpassages 11-- and 1'1-, as for example, in the direction indicated bythe arrows, Fig. 3, without effecting the movement of the fluid in thepipes 12 and 12'- and differential case --14- so that the motors onthe-axle sections -B will remain at rest. 7

If, however, the valve is shifted to the position shown in Fig. 5, apart of the fluid will be circulated locally through the same channelswhile the remaining portion will be circulated through the port 9-thence into the lower chamber .-18- beneath the valve through the ports20- and -10- and pipe 12- to the. lower side of the motors on the axlesB, thereby rotating said axles in the direction indicated by arrow X,Fig. 4, at a lowerspeed than that of 'the engine by reason of the localcirculation of a part of the fluid.

It is therefore, apparent that the speed of rotation of the axlesections B- and, therefore, the road speed of the machine can be variedfrom zero to the full'speed of the engine by a greater or'less degree ofopening of the valve -19 from its normal position and that the machinewill attain its highest speed for driving the machine ahead when shiftedto the position shown in Fig. 6 in which both of the parts 9- and 9 arecut off from communication with the passage 19 through the valve, saidports being then full open to allow circulation of all of the motivefluid from the port 9 to the chamber 18 below the valve and thencethrough the conduit 12 to the motors on the axles -B- as previouslydescribed. k

()n the other hand, if it is desired to reverse the direction ofmovement of the vehicle, it is simply necessary to reverse the operationof the valve to the position shown in Fig. 7 in which position, thecirculation of the motive fluid will be from the port 9 into the chamber18 above the valve and thence through the upper pipe -12 to the top ofthe motors on the axles B to cause the rotation of the latter in adirection opposite to that indicated by arrow X, it being understoodthat the motive fluid then returns through the pipe 12 to the chamber 18at the lower side of the valve and thence to the impeller chamber at thedownwardly moving side of the impeller which it follows and is againimpelled through the port 9 to the valve-chamber at the upper side ofthe valve where the operation just described is repeated.

It is evident, however, that, in reversing the valve, it may be shiftedto any intermediate position between its normal and full open positionsfor regulating the reverse speed of the vehicle to any desired degree.

What I claim is:

1. In hydraulic power transmission, the combination of a motor, animpeller, a valve chamber having a set of ports com municating with theimpeller chamber, and a valve dividing said chamber into separatecompartments which communicate with the motor, said valve beingadjustable to connect either compartment With either port and the othercompartment with the other port.

2. In hydraulic power transmission, the combination of a motor, animpeller, a valve chamber having a set of ports communicating with theimpeller chamber, and' a valve dividing said chamber into separatecompartments which communicate with the motor, said valve beingadjustable to one position to connect onecompartment with one port andthe other compartment with the other port, and to another position toconnect the first-named compartment with the second-named port and thesecondnamed compartment with the first-named port, and to a thirdposition for cutting off communication between the compartments andports.

3. In a hydraulic power transmission, the combination of a motor, animpeller, a valve chamber having a set of ports communicating with theimpeller chamber, and a valve dividing said chamber into separatecompartments which communicate with the motor, said valve beingadjustable to one position to connect one compartmentv with one port andthe other compartment with the other port, and to another position toconnect the first-named compartment with the second-named port and thesecondnamed compartment with the first-named port, and to a thirdposition for cutting off communication between the compartments andports, and provided with a passage for connecting said ports whenadjusted to said third position.

4. In hydraulic power transmission, the combination of a motor, animpeller, a valve chamber having a set of ports communicating with theimpeller chamber and another set of ports communicating with the motorchamber, and a valve dividing said chamber into separate compartments,each communicating with one of the secondnamed ports, said valve beingadjustable rotarily to connect either of the compartments with either ofthe first-named ports, and the other compartment with the otherfirst-named port.

5. In hydraulic power transmission, the combination of a motor, animpeller, a valve chamber having a set of ports communicating with theimpeller chamber and another set'of ports communicating with the motorchamber, and a valve dividing said chamber-into separate compartments,each communicating with one of the second-named ports, said valve beingadjustable rotarily to connect either of the compartments with either ofthe first-named ports and the other compartment with the otherfirst-named port, and also to cut off communication between saidcompartments and first-named ports, the valve being provided with adiametric passage therethrough for connecting the first-named ports whencommunication between them and the compartments is out off.

. In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 22nd day of June,1914.

. WILLARD E. LAPE. Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, EVA -E. GREENLEAF.

